caprice total redo

You have done a remarkable restoration/update on your wagon,this is just a minor setback!Stay positive John,I wish I had your drive and dedication.

jay you are correct about clamping the line in. it was pushing the line threw the clamp. i tightened it up so much it broke the roll pin that holds the wing nut on.
i am like you and just dont like how the copper alloy line looks. i will try the c clamp like you said before i open up the other line. if i cant get it i will have to do the copper alloy. i know i am running out of time i want it done for wagonfest and i know there will be other issues to come.

jim thanks for the nice words

jay u da man. you where correct about it being pushed out of the clamp fixture. i did what you said and put it in a vise and it worked. the3/16 line was not as bad because it is located closer to the wing nut. the 1/4 was a bear it is positioned in the middle. i got the front lines bubble flare done one 1 end of the line and the other side of the lines goes to my line locks and that is a double flare. the rear line i will see about an adapter. it will be to hard to do it in the car and i cant do any of the other side of the lines until the body is back on. but it was a good day the lines are run alway up to the firewall area by the master cylinder and i got the mtr and trans back on the frame.

well got some more stuff done. the rear is in,i used navylifer's stainless u bolts for the top of the shocks. the headers and cat delete pipes are in muffler are sorta in just laying there need to be tweeked. spark plug wires all the brake lines are run to the front near the brake booster need the body on to finish. the frame is starting to look packed. here are some photos. dont look at the ugly tail pipes

Do yourself a favor and put the torque converter dust cover back on before you install trans lines.  I earned a trip to the ER on saturday when I sliced my finger open trying to force the cover into place around those darn lines.

Almost a shame to cover up all that hard work with the body but at least you have the pictures for the scrapbook!Getting closer to the end,bet you cant wait!

that suck joel. i have to get around to powder coating it. its wierd i feel more nervous the closer it gets to being done

OMG!!!,...... those ugly tail pipes,......!!!

looks pretty spiffy!!,. you'll cry first rain storm you have to drive thru,..

Nick

the guy i bought the car from had his son do the exhaust. i guess he could not make the bends. it comes out of the muffler then goes to original pipe then new then at the back it goes back to original.

One thing about copper, you can paint it.   I had the dipstick rust out of my 4.3 vortec OMC boat engine. Some JB weld and a new 'custom bent' copper tube with gloss black rust oleum, and it looked like new.

Silver works just as we'll, but understand the shine of stainless

i am going to get the wagon body and frame back together this weekend. i towed it to my friends shop today. tomorrow i have to put the fuel lines and vent line in and bend the brake line so the body can be put on the frame.

I think I see a scratch on the frame!!!!  

Whoo!!!  

Looking good.

i did about 11 hrs today that includes a parts run. ran my new fuel lines and the vent line. bent the brake lines out of the way so i can lower the body down . started laying out the body bushings and realized you have to reuse the metal washer sleeve that runs threw the bushing. wished i would have known that before. i would have had them cleaned up, now tomorrow i will have to clean and blast them. the car has to be out of my friends shop mon. morning. i had bought all new bolts except for 2 bolts from the dealer. i ran a tap threw the bolts in the body so that should be ok. i am to tired to post pics. will do it ltr

was at garage all day tonight the good news is the wagon and the frame are one. all went well. i will post some pics tomorrow . the only thing that went bad was i could not get it up on trailer. i had 2 family members help and we could not push it up on trailer. we would get it half way up then it would roll off. i forgot how much the wagon weighs. well we where pushing so hard on the tailgate it dented. i took back panel off tailgate and poped it out but it left a dinger. the body dropped right on and was only 1/8 off from one side to the other. i got it centered now. the bushing i used are the energy suspension and i ordered the extra bushings that are missing from the kit, so i have the bottom bushings for the 1st 3 mounts on the body.

Good to hear! Not the dent/ding part, the rest.

Nice work John, it looks fantastic so far. I can't wait to see it at WFNY..... Are you going to make it?

You had better bring a jack and mirrors. We all want to see it.

I'm sure John will want a jack on his nice frame just so we all can droll.

i am coming to wf. i replace most of the fuel lines and the evap line. they are nylon and i used dorman stuff they sell a gun that puts the ends on the new line but i used a caulk gun and the block that comes with a flare kit. i had seen it on line and it works great i did spray a little silicone spray on the fittings. here are some pics of how to do it.

here are some more pics

4x4 shot

rusty sleeve that goes in new bushing. i wire wheeled them and used a plumbers 3/4 cleaning brush in a drill ti get the insde of the sleeve





had to reuse 2 original bolts not available from gm anymore, replaced the other bolts

i did run a tap threw the bolts in the body



back on the frame

the tires sit alot closer to the frame now. here is a shot of before and after

got the engine wired up. i also had to remove the line lock and modify the bracket i made last year it mounted the line locks to close to the steering linkage now i will have more room for the brake lines

worked on it today. mounted the line locks today and got the alt on. also loosely mounted the rad support

Very nice...

Wont be long before you and your new wagon hit the road again!

Brand spanking new!! Better than factory new!

I think new wagons come with LS motors,.. 

i wish it was a ls

phantom 309 wrote:

I think new wagons come with LS motors,.. 

I hope and wish they will ,cause I will be getting one if they dont want cts-v money . But the work you have done is incredible . My man you are in a zone !

got back to working on the wagon.put the starter in. started running the pos. battery cable and noticed the nut for the battery cable is missing.got the charcoal canister bracket powder coated and put in. also started messing with gas tank. the pump is in and the straps are powder coated but i had to cut the one pivit stud off to powder coat the straps. i will mess with it alittle tomorrow. that will be my only time to work on it. i have to get stuff ready to go on vaca next week we leave friday night that way the kids wil fall asleep and i can drive in peace

well just thought i would post a update started working on the wagon again this week end. nothing great just boring cleaning of bolts and powder coating them. maybe this week end i can start getting the front sheet metal back on. i would like to get the rad support and hood latch and wheel wells on. maybe a little brake line work. i did order a new cover the last one has gotten torn and had tons of rust dust on it when i was grinding the frame. maybe this weekend i will have some pics.

Way to keep at it!

i have been cleaning nuts and bolts to put font end on. i was going to put fenders on and noticed i had a little rust at bottom of inside fender so i took the fender apart and will clean up the rust and give it 2 coats of por 15. rust is not bad. also found rust on inner fender all along the top of it

I'm still in awe of all the work you've done, John!

Well, it's in the details...and those coats of '15 will pay off down the line! Can't wait to see it come together!!

Chris

thanks guys i have been tempted to just put it together and not be so picky but i know later i would regret it. i want to drive it again so bad. i was thinking of drilling some holes in the inner fenders to lighten them up.

i ground the rust down and used por 15 semi gloss. the semi gloss always looks blotchy. i called and they said thats how it is and it is normal. if it was a spot that gets seen i would just use there gloss black. i found a little ruston the pass fender near the battery so that also got coated. i hate adding weight but putt a pw antena on it. it will make putting car cover on easier

Looks good John!!

I think the title of this thread is a bit misleading,.
you need to call it "The extensive ocd motorhead wagon rebuild.",..... 
Its gone a bit further than just the rearend.

I was just thinking the same thing - lol

I had the same experience with the semi glass too....blotchy. I ended up using Eastwood's version and it looked better IMO.

Love seeing your progress!!!

Chris

i would have to say the rear end job got a little out of control. the other thing is having a job really slowing this down.  my wife wont let me quit, you know how unreasonable they can be

^^^^^ha ha ha.
Well this frame off started with a broken washer, then I saw this loose wire and........great work John

thanks guys nothing done this weekend other things i had to do. hopeing to get up there this week

Wow ! You are putting some major work into your wagon . Its all great stuff .

Sprocket wrote:

^^^^^ha ha ha.
Well this frame off started with a broken washer, then I saw this loose wire and........great work John

I think we need to name Johns car "Snowball".

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Sprocket wrote:

^^^^^ha ha ha.
Well this frame off started with a broken washer, then I saw this loose wire and........great work John

I think we need to name Johns car "Snowball".  

A better name would be AVALANCHE because it started with a little bit of snow and then ,,,,,,,,,,,well this happened!Its a beauty though!